Book Review = Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Title: Mexican Gothic
Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Genre: Horror/ Historical Fiction
Published: 2020
 
Description: After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemi Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find – her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemi knows little about the region.
 
Noemi is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chich gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemi; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemi, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemi digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
 
And Noemi, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.
 
Review: “Mexican Gothic” is a mix of a traditional folklore and feminine bravado and has an aftertaste. With this story, author Silvia Moreno-Garcia won the GoodReads choice award for best horror novel.
 
The story is set in 1950s Mexico. It’s a classic haunted house story with all the elements to go with it. An old mansion, a troubled family, secrets and mystery. Noemi Taboada receives a disturbing letter from her cousin Catalina, who lives in this mansion called High Place, with her new husband. She writes she is being poisoned, she hears whispers in the night and believes the house is haunted. Only Noemi can save her, so she sets ou for High Place to find out what is going on.
 
I always love a creepy, gothic setting. This book isn’t very  innovative within the gothic genre; it follows the well-known paths. Which makes it a tad predictable. But Moreno-Garcia does something with the plot, by putting in some nice twists on a classic genre.
 
The atmosphere is very present, you constantly have this eerie, ominous feel. Which is mostly because of the great scene setting in the book. You can picture the mansion very easily. I love a story with a strange family that has secrets, this was very well done.
 
I do believe the book went on a tad too long. There was this really exciting part in the book, that felt action-packed. After that, you still have a big chunk of the book to go. This part feels a bit dragging and that last part could’ve been a bit shorter.
 
Even though the book never really gets scary, the details are sometimes a bit gruesome and gory. “Mexican Gothic”  is a classic haunted house story that colors within the lines, but adds some new elements. The atmosphere is the best part of the book. Although the story is not quite balanced and that last part dragged on a but too long, I did enjoy “Mexican Gothic”. Anyone who likes a nice gothic horror story has the potential to enjoy this.
 
Rating: 3/ 5